Container for gaskets for refrigerator doors



July 17, 1962 w. w. wooDwARD 3,044,616

CONTAINER FOR GASKETS FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed Nov. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l P77? xygys,

July 17, 1962 w. w. wooDwARD 3,044,616

CONTAINER FOR GASKETS FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed Nov. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 29 /f/ \..f55 Y J7 M MM 1/ 3y JM @www L iper..A l, d

Patented July 17, 1962 This invention relates to paperboard containers, and more particularly to the packaging of articles of such odd shape and size as the gaskets for refrigerator doors.

The gaskets utilized as a seal between the door and cabinet of a refrigerator is molded from rubber or plastic material and then shipped to the manufacturer of the refrigerator. The shape and size of such a gasket presents a packaging problem from the view point of avoiding undue waste of paperboard or other packaging material while adequately protecting the gaskets during transportation and storage. The gaskets are soft and have little strength of their own, hence they must be properly supported to retain the initial molded shape, and they should be packaged so that the weight of the upper gaskets in a stack thereof will not unduly compress the lower gaskets in a stack, since such compression over a prolonged period of time could result in permanent deformation.

It has been the practice to package such gaskets in a large carton, the gaskets within the carton being segregated into small groups, which are separately supported by paperboard separators or bracing members. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a different packaging arrangement which eliminates the large paperboard carton with a considerable reduction in the amount of paperboard material required for the job. Among the several other objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a package of the character set forth wherein each groupjof gaskets is fully enclosed within its own wrapper, so that the wrappers themselves may be used as a conveniently handled enclosure in transporting gaskets to or along an assembly line. A further object of the invention is the provision of a complete package (including several such wrappers) which is more conveniently opened; and the provision of a package of the character referred to which has greater stacking strength by virtue of internal bracing in comparison with the type of package wherein the wrappers are enclosed within a conventional carton.

Briefly, the invention contemplates the use of wrappers for small groups of gaskets, the wrappers serving both as the support and enclosure for a small number of gaskets. The Wrappers are then grouped into a package of practical size, so as to reinforce one another, and are secured in assembled relationship by a paperboard sheet, trayV or the like, which may brace but does not enclose the wrappers.

Each wrapper may be formed from an elongate strip of corrugated paperboard joined at its ends, and scored transversely so as to define the top, bottom and sides of a generally rectangular frame, the distance between the transverse scores corresponding to the outer, rather than inner, dimensions of the article to be packaged. The blank is further scored longitudinally and is partially cut transversely so as to define narrow intermediate panels and marginal flap portions, the former being folded at right angles to the outer wall and the latter being folded inwardly into overlapping relation, thereby to provide a hollow frame structure fully enclosing the articles. The marginal flap portions of the blank define the inner wall of the wrapper and are of a length less than the correspending dimensions of the outer wall panels. The intermediate panels are adapted to overlap at their ends and form the front and back portions of the hollow enclosure.

Several such wrappers are assembled'in a group or stack with their front and back walls abutting, and the grouped Wrappers are secured together, as by adhesive tape and an inner reinforcing member, which may beof varying configuration. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner reinforcing member is a sheet of corrugated paperboard which is folded to a tube or the like and has anges along its margins which are secured against the inner walls of the several frame members.-

With this arrangement, the reinforcing member braces the relatively long side walls of the frames, which would be weaker than the short upper and lower walls. The iiange portions of the reinforcing member may be readily secured to the inner walls, as by adhesive, stitching or tape.

In an alternative embodiment, the inner reinforcement is defined by a pair of intersecting sheets of paperboard which form an X brace extending between the corners of the frames, the brace also being of av width such as to extend from the front to the back of lthe several grouped frames. The invention further contemplates an arrangement, with or without an inner reinforcement, wherein a pair of relatively shallow trays are tted over the upper and lower portions of the grouped frames.

Other features will be in part apparent from and in part pointed out in the following detail description, taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a package embodying features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of a blank which has been cut and scored to form one of the gasket wrappers of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank which has been cut and scored to form an inner reinforcing member for a group of wrappers;

FIG. 4 is a detail section illustrating a portion of one of the gasket-enclosing wrappers;

`FIG. 5 is a view similar to FlG. l, but illustrating an alternative embodiment of the inner reinforcing member;

comprising a group of three separate hollow rectangular gasket wrappers, generallyk designated 1. Each wrapper is adapted to enclose a group of refrigerator gaskets or the like, and is relatively narrow so that the contained articles are fully supported by the wrapper. In packaging such articles as refrigerator gaskets, it is important that a stack thereof be of minimum height so that the weight of the upper articles in the stack will not result in undue compression of the lowermost articles over a prolonged period of time. This problem is herein overcome by using a plurality of wrappers, each of which contains only a few of the articles. Since each wrapperis relatively shallow, it is further desirable to group the Wrappers in a common package such that they tend to reinforce one another and afford greater convenience in handling and shipping. The grouped wrappers are both secured together and strengthened by means of an inside reinforcing member 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, each wrapper 1 is formed from an `elongate strip of corrugated paperboard, the corrugations of which run longitudinally of the strip. The strip is scored longitudinally and transversely, and is also cut transversely, thereby to` define various foldable panels. For example, the strip is scored transversely along lines 5 and longitudinally along lines 7 to define short and long interconnected panels 9 and 11, which arel It will bev vthe panels 9 and 11 would bedetermined by the number 'of items to be contained in a given wrapper. Y

The blank is 'further scored longitudinally at 13 and is cut'transversely at 15 and 17 to define the plurality of relatively narrow panels 19 and 21, which are hinged to the panels 9 and 11, respectively. Thesenarrow panels are adapted to' form theV front and back walls of the wrapper, their width being determined by the dimensions of the contained item. It will Vbe noted that the panels 21, opposite the panelsll, are of a length equal to the length ofthe panels 11 and have square ends defined by the cuts 15'. The panels 19, which are oldab-ly connectedto the shorter panels 9, have beveled ends ,defined by diagonal cuts 17. In setting up the wrapper, the panels 21 are rst `folded inwardly with respect tothe panels 11, and the panels 19 are then folded inwardly, so that their end portions 17 overlap with the'end por-V forcement.

preferably have marginal anges 55 at opposite ends to afford greater rigidity.

In some instances, the wrappers themselves will be of suliicient strength to permit omission to the inner rein- In such event, a pair of shallow tray-end closures 61 and `63 (FIG. 6) might then be utilized to cover the top and bottom of the assembled wrappers. Such traylike end closures would have the advantage of covering the corners of the wrappers, hence an opencorner type of wrapper may be utilized with the arrangement shown in FIG. 6.

Where maximum resistance to rocking and twisting of the grouped wrappers is desired, the brace of FIG. 7 is suggested. VA sheet of corrugated paperboard is formed tions 19. The beveled outer ends 17 resist snagging but are not essential.

The inner walls of the frame are defined by the marginalportions of the blank, which are deiinerd by the longitudinal scores 13 and by the transverse cuts 23 and 215.

, The cuts extend transversely of the blank from the kcompleted by folding the marginal portions into overlapping relationship with one another. For example, the narrow marginal portions 31 and 33 would be first folded inwardly, whereupon the panels 27 and 29 would be folded over and secured, Las by adhesive tape 37.V The panels 27 and 29 might be of a width corresponding approximately to the width of the panels 9 and 11,-which dene the outer wallsV of the frame.

In packaging refrigerator gaskets, the typical wrapper might be two or three feet wide, perhaps four feet tall and about six inches deep. The dimension between the inner and outer Walls might be only an inch or two, hence the individual wrappers do'not have Aa great deal of v strength. 'I'his weakness may be overcome, however, by

combining several wrappers into a group, as indicated in FIG. 1. For example, three such wrappers may be stacked together and joined 4at their corners by ardhesive tape 39. While the assembled wrappers have greater strength than they would individually, the invention further contemplates the use of an inner rein-forcing member 3 for holding the several wrappers in assembled rela# tionship and for bracing the walls thereof.

Referring to' FIG. 3,a sheet of paperboard is transversely scored along a center line 41 and is scored longitudinally at its margins along lines 43. The center panels 45 are of a length about equal to the dimension horizontally through the stack of wrappers, and `the panels 45 are of a Width corresponding to the space between the side walls of a frame. The flap portions 47 are folded at right angles, and are secured, as by adhesive or tape, to the inner walls of the wrapper, while the reinforcing member is folded at 41 to a V-shape. Asy such, the reinforcing member tends to brace the longer side walls of theV frame `against inward collapse.

Referring to FIG. 5 there is shown an alternative inner reinforcement utilizing the pair of intersecting panels' which reach diagonally between the inner corners of the grouped wrappers. A pair of paperboard sheetsY 51 and 53: are centrally slotted for internesting connection, and

into a rectangular tube 71 with end ilanges 73. The tube may have a taped manufacturer-s joint 75 and is of a length suiiicient to span the space between the long inner walls of the wrappers. if the tube is turned at an angle, as shown, the reinforcing member aiords full support from front to back of the grouped wrappers but with a smaller tube than if it were secured with its walls parallel to the top and bottom of the wrappers.

FIG. 7 also illustrates how the flanges 72 may be secured to the inner Wall parts 33 of the wrappers by staples 77, the anvil of the stapling machine being conveniently inserted beneath these parts of the wrapper without risk of damaging the gaskets.

Although several specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, various other embodiments will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims. In one aspeet, the invention concerns the combination of `a group of frame-like wrappers with a reinforcing device adapted to hold the wrappers in assembled relation. Another aspect of the invention is the structure of the wrappers, and a third aspect is the structure of the reinforcing devices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and rdesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A package for gasket-shaped articles comprising a plurality of hollow rectangular -frames formed of paperboard, each frame being formed of paperboard sheet material to have inner and outer peripheral panels connectedA by front and back panels, the frames having closed corners, the frames being stacked together with their front Vand back panels in face-to-face relationship, means holding said several frames together, and a gasket-shaped' article contained Ywithin each frame.

2. A package as set forth in cl-aim 1 wherein each of said frames is of predetermined depth, an inner reinforcing member extending crosswise' between the inner peripheral panels of the frames, said inner reinforcing member Vbeing substantially continuous from front to back of the grouped frames, thereby to serve as a common brace for the several frames.

3. A package for gasket-shaped articles comprising a plurality of hollow rectangular frames, Veach frame being formed of paperboard sheet material to have inner and outer peripheral panels interconnected by the front and Iback panels, the frames having closed corners, said frames being grouped together with their front and back panels in substantial face-to-face engagement, and means holding said frames in grouped relationship, said means comprising a pair of shallow paperboard trays, one of the trays being fitted over the bottomportious of said group of frames and the other of which trays is fitted over the upper portionsv of said frames, there being an open area of substantial size between the ltwo trays, and a gasket-shaped article lcontained within each frame.

4. A package for articles having the shape of door gaskets, comprising a plurality of grouped paperboard y wrappers, the wrappers being of substantially the same wrappers for better support, the wrappers assembled in a row with the center openings thereof continuous, so as to reinforce one another, and ya paperboard reinforcing element extending substantially the length of the row and secured to the endmost articles in the row, said reinforcing element holding the wrappers in assembled relationship without enclosing the twrappers.

5. A package for articles comprising a group of paperboard wrappers, each having narrow elongate top, bottom and side sections of hollow rectangular cross section, said sections defining an open rectangle, the wrappers being assembled in a row with the top, bottom and side sections aligned, and a paperboard reinforcing element extending substantially the length of the row and secured to at least the endmost wrappers in assembled relationship without closing off the center opening in the row, and at least one article contained in each wrapper.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,250,491 Lurrain July 29, 1941 l() 2,430,609 Guyer Nov. ll, 1947 2,781,898 Desmond Feb. 19, 1957 2,874,834 Woodward Feb. 24, l959 

